Archives for April 25, 2012

In my last message to you, I mentioned that things have changed, but I did not go into much detail on how they have changed.

One reader, Patrick O., pointed this out and asked if I might share my thoughts on how things are different now.

Knowing how things have shifted and changed is an important tool in trying to figure out what’s coming next, so let’s get into this by looking back just a few short years ago, say just before Obama became President.

Was the economy roaring? No, in fact it had already begun its decline. Around that time, companies began to lay off workers. The numbers were not surprising, at least at this time.

For small business owners, things were starting to slow down, people were being a little more cautious about how they were spending their money, and hiring was sluggish at best.

From 2008 to the present day, things have gotten much, much worse. I have a bird’s eye view of small business since working with small business owners is my primary role in life and can tell you that not one, in any industry, has managed to escape the challenges of this dismal economy.

As with all things, there is a silver lining to all the bad news out there. With hardly any new jobs being created over the past couple of years, and more people being cast aside, what you want to pay attention to is what these people are doing once their unemployment checks stop coming.

From what I see now, there is a HUGE part of our population, I would guess it numbers well over 20% now, of people who have been unemployed and have been unsuccessful at finding another job.

No, I don’t at all believe the “official” unemployment numbers as they have clearly been “fixed” to make it look as though things are not as bad as they are. A simple look around all all the people you know will give you a much better idea of just how bad the situation is.

You have to ask, “what will happen with all these people?” When the government checks stop coming, they have a few options. First, they can claim disability. If you’ve paid attention to the numbers, you’ll note that this is popular route for many who have burned through an astounding 99 weeks of unemployment checks.

The second option, and one you’re seeing more and more people choose, is to start their own business. It’s this segment of the population that you want to pay attention to.

These are the people who will help guide us out of this economic mess and who will create the next generation of Apple, Microsoft, and HP.

Each one of these now major companies started during the worst of times in the 1970’s. Today, they are the cornerstones of our economy.

I am looking for these people, I’m looking to help them, to support them, to train them, and to help get them up and running because they are the ones that will make the biggest difference in our world.

Change comes, not from government, but from individuals with a dream. People who dare to follow their passions and who lead others by setting the example of what’s possible.

Government, by contrast, is reactive in nature, uninformed, inefficient, and absolutely not creative in any manner. So they have zero ability to affect positive change in our world and in fact, tend most often to deter and interrupt success.

You, as an individual can be creative, you can follow your passions and make your dreams a reality. You can create a business that will support you and your family for decades to come.

This is where the energy, the creativity, the joy, or what I like to call the life force really is.

Put your attention on those things that mean something. Look for people who dare step up and who are ready to take charge of their own lives and create a future they can be proud of.

These people will be your customers. They will be the ones that will create jobs, who will stimulate the economy, and who may in fact, change the world.

Today, you might think about companies like Facebook, or Instagram. You can literally sit at home, write an “app” and walk off with a billion dollar buyout a year or two later.

Things have indeed changed, and not all of it is for the worst. Information is the new “hot product” and that includes all the tools needed to both search and store it so that it’s there when you need it.

Think about the Kindle, the iPad, the Nook, and all the other tools being sold at a breakneck pace, all designed to help you consume more information.

You have some choices to make for yourself. You can decide to “stick it out” and “see what happens” or you can step up to the plate and make a play that could very define not only the rest of your life, but of many others whose lives you will touch along the way.

There is much to do, much to be gained, and now is the best time to get out there and get to work!